First of all welcome to the forum ajcjr. I was in your position 3 weeks ago. If you do not know anyone who shoots you might want to join a club with access to either an indoor or outdoor range. Just do a search for archery clubs in your area and start sending emails to see which clubs are taking on new members.

Take your time and visit several archery shops in your area. Ask to shoot as many different bows as possible then follow up with a little research on the web. The individuals on this forum have a wealth of information and will assist as much as they can. I made my first bow purchase a week ago today and because I joined an archery club I have access to both indoor and outdoor ranges. I should take my own advice but take your time when looking for a bow. Some can be very expensive.

If nothing else just buy the best bow you can afford to purchase and set-up and still have enough left over for arrows and a bag then get about 10 yrds from your bag an shoot when your comfortable and sure of yourself move back to 20 yrds then 30 an so on till you've to your comfort zone but for hunting purposes you won't need to go past 25 maybe 30.Pretty much 99% of your shots will be less than 20 to 25 yrds but the farther you practice the easier them 20 will be.Practice is the key,that and form, but the more you practice the better your form will be. Start slow though doing to much to quick wears you out then get into bad habits because you're tired and that creates bad form. If it was me I'd start off just 5 or 6 arrows a day every day besides creating good form this will build your muscles.

ok i am looking to get into archery just to shoot targets not to hunt.

Last time i shot a bow i was 10 11 or 12, i am now 36.

So where do i start, there is so much info here, i am confused?? I am in good shape and athletic if that matters.

Thanks

Well, with archery like many sports you want to try as many as you can before you but them for target shooting strictly I would look at bows around 35" of longers, with a good brace height. To name some off the top of my hand
Alpine: Ventura, Yukon
Athens: 300 Exced
Hoyt: Alphamax 35, Maxxis 35, Contender bows, Vantage
Bowtech: Sentinal, Brigadier
Mathews: Drenalin LD, Conquest Bows
PSE: Vendetta XL, Moneymaker, Bow Madness XL
Elite: XLR

I am sure there is more but these are the ones I can think of off the top of my head. However you may prefer some that are shorter than these it is a preference thing and to be successful you need a bow that will fit you the best. Every bow company makes great bows these days, you just try to find pieces that you like about them and pick out a bow. Also these are all Bows still in production you may find some that just got dropped like the Diamond Marquis, Hoyt Katera XL, PSE Shark at good prices.
I would love to help you all I can set up your bow so if you want you can send me a message on here I will be more than happy to help.

Sound advice, so far. I started with an old Bear recurve bow and cedar arrows. I used what I remembered from my gym class archery instructor for form and technique. I set up hay bales with a 9" paper plate stuck to it with a stick. I shot at 5 to 10 yards untill I could hit the plate nearly every time. Then I moved back 5 yards at a time untill I was out to about 25 yards. My goal was deer hunting. Now I shoot an expensive compound, but I honestly can't say that I enjoy the sport any more than I did back 30 plus years ago. The main thing is to practice with what you have, what you can afford, and be safe. Have fun, I do.

I would consider going with a good package deal bow that has everything to get started with......bow, sight, stabilizer, peep, release, etc. Start at the archery shops for package deals.

Again I will hit on the indoor range, archery clubs, and the budget idea that states to get what you can afford in order to have everything you need to shoot.

Once you have a bow to start with, shoot as much as you desire. It's best to start with the basic items first that you can afford right away and not try to get the BEST of the BEST here. If you find that you're not commited enough, or you just don't like it as much as you thought you would, or even that you want a better bow you'll be able to sell a beginner package bow for close to what you have invested in it!

Once you start building a $1500 bow, it's hard to get what its worth out of it should you choose to change......

Welcome to the forums!

If I was going to start out ONLY for target shooting I would start with a Recurve or Traditional Longbow........cheaper all together, and once you learn instinct shooting it's more gratifying!

ok i am looking to get into archery just to shoot targets not to hunt.

Last time i shot a bow i was 10 11 or 12, i am now 36.

So where do i start, there is so much info here, i am confused?? I am in good shape and athletic if that matters.

Thanks

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- The five types of bows – and how to select the one that is right for you in just seven easy steps!
- 3 factors you should always consider when looking for arrows – the information you read here may surprise you!

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